Stamp-affixing machine



c. LINDSTRUM.

STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9. 19l3- RENEWED JUNE 18. 1919.

Patented J an. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

c. LINDSTRO M.

STAMP AFFIXING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 9.1913- RENEWED JUNE 18, I919.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CARL LINDSTROM, 0F BERLIN, GERMANY.

STAMP-AFFIXING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 2'7, 1920.

Application filed May 9, 1913, Serial No. 766,639. Renewed June 18, 1919. Serial No. 305,181.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL LiNDsTRoM, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Gr. Frankfurterstrasse 137, Berlin, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Stamp:- Aifixing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in stamp afiixing machines and more particularly to counting and registering mechanisms for stampaflixing machines of the type described in my copending application for Letters Patent No. 767,369, filed May 13, 1913, in which any required number of stamps, suflicient to cover the postage may be affixed on the letter to be stamped, in one operation of the machine, that is to say during only one revolution of the driving shaft.

This invention consists in that the counting mechanism is adjusted simultaneously and in agreement with the stamp severing means, that is to say, if during one revolution of the driving shaft, three stamps are affixed to a letter, the registering mecha nism will be actuated by the counter, so that itregisters three more units.

A further advantage of the improved counting and registering mechanism is that 1t 1s arranged in the interlor of the machine 7 casing, whereby dirt is prevented from gaining access to the same, whileat the same time an accidental or intentional interference and shifting of the registering mechanism is rendered practically impossible.

One form of carrying the invention into effect is shown in the accompanying drawings by way of example, in which Figure 1 is a view of the driving shaft of a stamp afiixing machine, in which the registering mechanism which is arranged in front of the same is not shown.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line a b of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the adjusting or setting device.

Fig. 4 is a cross section along lines ad,' Fig. 5 is a similar view with the parts in different position.

, In the illustrated example the sleeve or mufl 2 which acts asa carrier for a plurality of radial fingers and is slipped over the driving shaft 1 of the stamp affixing machine operated by a crank handle 1 is provided with a tubular extension 3 having a longitudinal slit 4 with which a pin 5 se cured on the shaft 1 engages. By this means the sleeve or muff may be moved along the shaft, but is always carried around by the same during its revolution. On the shaft 1, there is further loosely and mounted a tube 6, on one end of which, that is on the end which projects into the casing of the machine there is keyed an eccentric 7, which in cooperation with the eccentric 8 keyed on the shaft 1, operates and regulates the stamp severing means; see Figs. 4 and 5. The eccentrics 8 and 241 are keyed on the shaft land the eccentrics 7 and 25 are keyed on the tube 6. On the engagement of pin 11 with one of the holes 12 situated in the circumference of the wheel. 9, all the eccentrics are rigidly interlocked. At the other end of the tube 6 there is fixed a ratchet wheel 9, while on the end of the shaft 1, which projects at this point, there is keyed an arm 10 with is provided with a spring controlled pin 11, engaging with holes 12 in the circumference of the ratchet wheel. To the tube 6 there is connected a second tube 13, on the free end of which there is mounted a frame 15 adapted to oscillate about the axis of screws 14. On the frame 15 there are arranged rollers 16 which slide on the sloping edges of the gaps 17 provided in the sleeve or mufi' 2. On the circumference of the sleeve or muff 2, there are arranged pins 18, at equal intervals, the bent ends of which are of different lengths and form fingers 19 which operate the ratchet wheel 20 of the registering mecha'-" nism 21. The number of the pins 18 as well as the number of the holes 12 provided on the periphery of the ratchet wheel 9, agrees with the maximum number of stamps which the machine can aflix to a letter in one operation. The spring 22 presses the sleeve or mud 2 with its'sloping edges against the rollers 16 mounted on the frame 15, which rollers, however, always remain in contact with the sloping guide faces of the sleeve or muff 2, as the frame carrying said rollers is free to oscillate and may thus adjust itself in any position, which fact at the same time renders possible a very accurate setting of the sleeve or muff;

The following is a brief description of the mode of operation of the improved mechanism.

Assuming that the machine, which, as shown in the drawings is set for affixing revolubly three stamps to each letter, is to be readjusted, so that it only aliixes one stamp to a letter during each operation, the pin 11 for this purpose is pulled out from the opening 12,111 the periphery of the Wheel 9,which latter is then turned in the direction of the arrow shownin Fig. 3', until the pin snaps into the hole 12%. By this means the pair of eccentrics 7 and 8 operating the stamp severing means are turned in relation to each other, until they assume a position in which they operate the stamp severing means each time a stamp passes the same. On turning the ratchet wheel 9, the tube 13 and with it, the frame 15, are caused to participate in the movement, hile the rollers 16 move along the sliding'faces of the gaps 17 until the sleeve or muff 2, by moving to the right (Fig.

1) assumes a position in which only one finger ofthe muff 2 comes into contact with the arms of the ratchet wheel 20, whereby the registering mechanism during each operation ofthe machine is advanced through a distance equivalent to one unit. If, however,

it is desired to affix five stamps to each letter, the ratchet wheel 9, is turned in the 0pposite direction until the pin 11 springs into the opening 12'- of the ratchet wheel 9. The stamp. severing. means will then during each operation of the machine sever five stamps, while the inuif 2, will be moved to the left (,Eig. 1) to such an extent that all the fingers l9 touch the arms of the ratchet wheel 20, whereby the registering mechanism is advancedthrough a distance equivalent to five nits;

The coil of stamps 26 is placed in the receptacle 27 and the stamps are supplied to the, feeder 29facross the support 28. The aforesaid feeder conveys the, stamps under and past the plunger 30. to the cylinder 31 projection 86 ofthe arm 70 slides down from and, the roller 32. The plunger is'connected; the arm 70 to the eccentric 25 in such manner. that it remains raised, thus allowing the passage of the stamps until the thepro ction 33f, and thus presses the plunge1".w th its pro ection 71 against the stamp and. thus. arrests. the same. Previous to this 50, theroller 3 2which pivots about 35 and which isconnected to the eccentric 7 by the arm 23,

has alreadycaused to press against the stampsoas toenable the cylinder 31 to carry the, stamp along with it.

By, engaging, the, pin 11 with one of the different holes. 12in the circumference of the ratchet wheel 9v the, eccentrics 8 and 24 are each given a difierent po ition in relation to the eccentrics 7 and 2 5. The eccentrics 7 and 8 may 'beso adjusted. in relation, to each other that a gap is. formed between the cams, as shown Eig. 1, or that they form a direct continuation of each other, as shown in 5. In theone. case Where. they leavea gap, theroller' thearrn 23, will, traverse a shorter distance, so that the roller 32 will be in contact with the stamp and the cylinder 31 a shorter time, than in the other case, in which the roller 34: must travel over the two cams which form a continuation of each other before the roller 32 comes into operation, and consequently also the eccentric 25 is adjusted in relation to the eccentric 8 so that depending upon the adjustment the plunger 32 will be held in the raised position a shorter or longer period so as to allow any desired number of stamps to pass unchecked underneath it.

What I claim is:

1. In a postal stamp affixing machine, having a register actuating means and a setting device therefor, whereby on the adjustment of said setting device, said actuating means will be made to register dif ferent number of stamps in accordance with said adjustment, said setting device comprising two revolving-members coaXially positioned, and means for locking said revolving members together at different angular positions; one of said revolving members being provided with transverse projections; said actuating means comprising a muff axially displaceable on the other of said revolving members and cam surfaceson said muff for engaging with said transverse projections, whereby 011 the adjustment of said revolving members at different angular positions said projections coacting with said cam surfaces on said muff will dis; place the muff in axial direction,

2. Ln a postal stamp affixing machine, having a register actuating means and a setting device, therefor, whereby on the adjustment of said setting device, said actuating means will be made to register. different number of stamps in accordancekvith said adjustment, said setting device comprising two revolving members coaxially positioned, and means for locking said revolving members together at different angular positions; one of said; revolving members being provided with transverse projections; said actuating means comprising a muff axially displaceable on the other of said revolving members and cam surfaces on said muff for engaging with said transverse projections, whereby on the adjustment of said revolving members at different angular positions said projections coacting with said cam sur, faces, on said muff will displace the muif in axial direction, said muff being provided with a plurality of fingers of different length, a registering member also provided with corresponding fingers positioned to, contact with said first fingers.

3. In a postal stamp affixing machine, having a stamp feeding mechanism, a register actuating means and a setting. device for simultaneously setting said, feeding mechanism, and said actuating means, and

means between said setting device and said feeding mechanism for regulating the feeding mechanism in accordance with the adjustment of said setting device, and other means between said setting device and said actuating means for the adjustment of the latter.

4. In a postal stamp affixing machine, having a stamp feeding mechanism, a reg ister actuating means and a setting device for simultaneously setting said feeding mechanism and said register actuating means, means between said setting device and said feeding mechanism for regulating the feeding mechanism in accordance with the adjustment of said setting device, and other means between said setting device and said actuating means for the adjustment of the latter, said setting device comprising two revolving members coaxially positioned, and means for locking said revolving members together at different angular positions; and said regulating means comprising cam members on each of said revolving members respectively; one of said revolving members being provided with transverse projections; said actuating means comprising a muff axially displaceable on the other of said revolving members and cam surfaces on said muff for engaging with said transverse pro jections, said muff being provided with a plurality of bent radial fingers of different length, a registering member also provided with corresponding fingers positioned to contact with said first fingers.

5. In a postal stamp aflixing machine having a revolving shaft, a sleeve on said shaft and means for locking said shaft and sleeve together in different angular positions, cams provided on said sleeve and said shaft, a stamp feeding mechanism operated by said cams, a muff slidably mounted on said shaft, and provided with inclined surfaces, a rocking member on said sleeve provided with rollers for contacting with said inclined surfaces and a spring tending to press the muff in the direction of said rollers; a registering mechanism provided with a star wheel, said mufi' having a plurality of fingers of different length intended toimpinge with the points of the star wheel; whereby on setting said locking mechanism in a certain position a given number of stamps will be fed forward by said feeding mechanism and said fingers simultaneously operate said star wheel for registering the same number of stamps.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL LINDSTROM.

Witnesses WOLDEMAR HAUPT, HENRY HAsrER. 1 

